Collapsible tobacco hogshead



June 6, 1961 R. s. McCONNELL 2,987,210

COLLAPSIBLE TOBACCO HOGSHEAD' Filed March ll, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i [?a 2,2,2: ail/C 00 2:33 2

BY V

ATTORNEY 5 Patented June 6, 1961 2,987,210 COLLAPSIBLE TOBACCO HOGSHEAD Ralph S. McConnell, 420 Warrenton Drive, Silver Spring, Md. Filed Mar. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 720,751 1 Claim.- (Cl. 217-44) The present invention relates to collapsible tobacco hogsheads which can be shipped in knockdown condition when empty.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a cylindrical tobacco hogshead formed of a flexible, light weight, high strength sheet such as fiberboard, kraft paper coated board, and other similar material, and constructed so as to be capable of being knocked down into separate flat panels for shipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible sheet collapsible tobacco hogshead having central hinges combined with reinforcing members such that the flexible sheet serves as its own central supporting band.

A fiirther object of the invention is to provide a collapsible flexible sheet hogshead of the class described above having metal bands at the top and bottom edges thereof with their opposite ends formed integrally into cooperating hinge halves.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a flexible sheet hogshead of the class described above which will support and contain a standard quantity of tobacco compressed under the standard pressures conventionally used.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation shown partially broken away for convenience of illustration.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal crosssection taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the hinge half blank at one end of the supporting band.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the blank of a second hinge half at the opposite end of the supporting band.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken along the line 7'7 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 of a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 8.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral '10 indicates generally a tobacco hogshead constructed in accordance with the invention.

The hogshead 10 comprises a pair of identical side walls 11, 12 with each being of substantial semi-cylindrical configuration when in erected position, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. The side walls 11, 12 each include a generally rectangular flexible panel 13 having a reinforcing strip 14 of similar material secured along the upper edge thereof, and an identical strip 15 secured along the lower edge thereof.

A relatively wide stave 16 extends vertically along the end edges 17 of the panel 13 terminating at the respective upper and lower edges thereof. The staves 16 are secured to the rectangular panels 13 by means of a plurality of staples 18 extending therethrough.

A plurality of cleats 19 are secured along the upper and lower edges of the panels 13 on the inner face thereof oppositely to the reinforcing strips 14, 15. A cleat 20 is secured to the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the staves 16 on the side thereof opposite the panel 13.

A metal band 21 is engaged against the outer face of the strip 14 at the upper end of the panels 13, and an identical metal band 22 is positioned at the lower end of the panels 13 in engagement with the outer face of the strip 15. The band 21 is reverted to form a hinge half 23 at one end thereof, and the opposite end is reverted to form a hinge half 24 to cooperate with the hinge half 23. V

The hinge half 23 is oppositely recessed at 25 to form a tongue 26, while the hinge half 24 is provided with a central slot 27 to form a pair of tongues 28' which engage on opposite sides of the tongue 26 to form hinge barrels connected by a hinge pin 29. The bands 22' are provided with identical hinge halves 23, 24 secured together by a hinge pin 29.

The bands 21, 22 are secured to the panels 13 by means of a plurality of diagonally positioned staples 30 which extend through the bands 21, 22, strips 14, 15, panels 13, and through the cleats 19, 20, as can best be seen in FIGURE 7.

A hinge half 23a is formed identically to the hinge half 23 omitting the band 21, and a second hinge half 24a is formed identically to the hinge half 24 omitting the band 21. The hinge halves 23a and 24a are secured together by a hinge pin 29a and are secured to the vertical edges 17 of the panels 13 by means of staples 30a which extend through the panel 13 and through the stave 16. The hinge halves 23a, 24a are arranged in vertically spaced relation on the panels 13 and create, with the panels 13, a band effect intermediate the bands 21, 22.

As shown in FIGURE 7, a stave 31 is secured in upright relation to the panels 13 intermediate the vertical edges 17 thereof. The staves 31 terminate with their ends spaced from the cleats 19, and circular heads 32 are engaged between the cleats 19 and the ends of the staves 31, as best shown in FIGURE 7. It should be understood that the staves 31 may be omitted entirely or increased in number to meet the needs of the conditions encountered.

The cleats 19 on the lower edges of the panels 13 sup port the lower head 32, and the cleats 19 on the upper edges of the panels 13 engage over and retain the upper head 32 against the pressure of tobacco compressed within the hogshead 10.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9, a circular head 32a is provided with an upstanding rim 33 which engages the inner periphery of the cleats 19, 20 to assist in strengthening the ends of the hogshead 10.

In the use and operation of the invention, the hogshead 10 is assembled by inserting hinge pins 29 and 29a in the hinge halves 23, 24 and 23a, 24a connecting the panels 13 together along their vertical edges 17. The lower head 32 is then inserted, engaging the cleats 19 on the lower edges of the panels 13. The hogshead It is then packed with tobacco and prized in the conventional manner. One or both of the hinge pins 29 securing the upper band 21 together are then removed to allow spreading of the upper band 21 to permit insertion of the upper head 32 under the cleats 19 along the upper edges of the panels 13. After the upper head 32 is inserted, the upper band 21 is compressed by suitable means (not shown) and the removed hinge pins 29 are replaced to complete the packing operation.

The vertical staves 16 reinforce the vertical edges 17 of the panels 13 and spread the strain received from the 3 hinge halves 23a, 24:: throughout the vertical edges 17 in a generally equal distribution. When tobacco is compressed within the hogshead 10, the strain resulting from the connection of the hinge halves 23a, 24a by the hinge pins 29a is equalized by the staves 16 so that the flexible panels 13 are enabled to withstand the strain.

The formation of the hingle halves 23, 24 on opposite ends of the metal bands 21 produces a relatively inexpensive hinge connection between the side walls 11, 12 of the hogshead while actually enhancing the strength characteristics thereof over that of conventional hinge structures.

It should be understood that the side walls 11, 12 of the hogshead 10 can be disconnected and flattened to permit inexpensive shipping for returning the empty hogshead 10. It should be further understood that the staves 16 and staves 31 may be formed of plywood, kraft paper coated wood, or any other suitable material which is readily available.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A collapsible tobacco hogshead comprising a pair of semi-cylindrical flexible panels, reinforcing strips secured to the outer faces of said panels adjacent the upper and lower edges thereof, a metallic band engaging each of said strips on the'side thereof opposite said panels, means securing said bands to said strips and to the upper and lower edges of each of said panels, a hinge half integrally formed at each end of said band for cooperative connection with the hinge half of the adjacent band, a vertically extending reinforcing stave secured to each vertical edge portion of each panel, a plurality of binge structures, means connecting said hinge structures to the end edges of said panels intermediate the top and bottom edges thereof and to said staves, a pair of circular heads positioned adjacent the upper and lower edges of said panels, and a plurality of cleats secured to the upper and lower edges of said panels in engagement with the upper and lower faces respectively of said upper and lower heads detachably securing said heads to said panels, a circular rim secured to the respective upper and lower faces of said upper and lower heads, said rims engaging said cleats along the inner periphery thereof and having a height equal to the height of said cleats.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 710,252 Conrad Sept. 30, 1902 903,381 Hutchinson Nov. 10, 1908 1,464,651 Frome Aug. 14, 1923 2,313,309 Arnold Mar. 9, 1943 2,375,122 McConnell May 1, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 504,290 Great Britain Apr. 24, 1959 

